We all profit when states have autonomy

That is a phrase used by my grandmother to describe the fate of fools committing idiotic acts. Usually the targets of her epitaph were politicians, but in full disclosure, at appropriate times it was also directed at my brothers and me.

It seems the phrase is suddenly back in vogue with pundits and regular folks opining over the legalization of recreational marijuana. America is going to hell in a hand basket.

Colorado and Washington states passed laws over a year ago to move in that direction, but Colorado recently approved the framework under which retailers can actually set up shop. The doors have opened, the lines are long and the cash registers are ringing in the new year with a wallop. The Centennial State projects sales to top a half-billion dollars and yield tax revenues to the tune of $70 million. Unholy smoke!

The national debate on the wisdom of such an incredible step spun up quickly and rages throughout the media spectrum. Will the “gateway drug” lead to widespread use of other, more dangerous narcotics? Will the crime rate climb? Will driving become more hazardous with potheads on the roads? Will worker productivity decline? Will the very fabric of society begin to break down as the public descends into debauchery? Will other states follow suit and the whole country devolve into chaos?

The fun part is this isn’t one of those issues that falls neatly along party lines. One might guess the position of the religious right, which would be somewhere in the vicinity of the religious left. Clinton didn’t inhale but Obama did — and so have more than a few Republicans.

The Gallup poll conducted last October shows that, for the first time, a majority of Americans (58 percent) approves of legalizing marijuana. That can put conservatives — who generally favor status quo — in a bit of a quandary. It’s just one more point of contention the fractured Republican party doesn’t need at the moment.

We do have some hindsight that will allow us to see into the future. After waging an all-out war on drugs for 40 years, spending a trillion dollars, filling our prisons to the point of shame, we have a result of… abject failure. It is past time to take a different course of action.

Those who want marijuana today know where to get it — and the transaction is always a risky proposition. In Colorado, that risk will be eliminated. Those who use it will continue to do so — and of those that have chosen not to use it, only a fraction of a percent will do so.

Individual choice, rather that law, is the guiding factor. Drug dealers sell whatever the customer wants — but licensed marijuana retailers will not — so for those who don’t want to go further, the gateway will be closed.

Colorado will not spawn more drug addicts. Society will not break down. Their prisons will begin to empty. We will save a large portion of the $50 billion we spend annually on enforcement. Other states will follow suit and we’ll have a ringside seat.

Our amazing Constitution allows the states to direct their own affairs on many fronts. The future lies not in an all-knowing federal government that dictates what 300 million must do, but in 50 governments that might show us an enlightened alternative.